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The president chided the rushed process of passing the roughly 2,300-page bill and criticized Democrats for holding out votes until they could add their priorities, but he said the $700 million in defense spending made it a necessity.

The president also lamented the $1.6 billion set aside for his long-promised border wall as "not enough" and well below the $25 billion he requested. He blamed Democrats for the lack of funding for a program that offers deportation protection to immigrants who came to the country illegally while they were young.

"DACA recipients have been treated very badly," Trump said.

While it was Trump who enacted a phase-out of the program, he blamed Democrats for failed negotiations, which he tied to border security funding.

"We wanted to include DACA," he said. "The Democrats would not do it."

Trump's announcement came hours after he caused a stir by tweeting he was "considering" a veto of the bill, which was passed by the Senate just after midnight Friday on the heels of an easy House vote Thursday afternoon. If he'd have vetoed the legislation, a temporary spending bill would have been needed or a government shutdown would have started at midnight.

The veto threat was met with cheers from members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and other lawmakers of both parties who were upset over the big price tag of the bill or its quick push through Congress.

"I agree (Trump) should veto this sad excuse for legislation because it's $1.3 trillion in spending that (almost) no one read," tweeted GOP Sen. Rand Paul, along with a photo of the large stack of pages that comprise the bill.

Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a tweet the group would “fully support” a veto, adding that Congress should pass a short-term budget resolution while Trump and congressional leaders negotiate on a "better deal."

The Freedom Caucus had urged Trump to veto the giant bill passed on Thursday. The lawmakers contended the bill does not have enough money for the border wall, leaves intact former President Barack Obama’s health care law and funds Planned Parenthood.

A look at the bill’s highlights:

— $700 billion for defense, which is $61 billion over the last year, the biggest annual defense boost in 15 years. It increases for weapons procurement, including 14 Navy ships, which bolsters missile defenses. It funds a 2.4 percent pay raise for troops.

— $591 billion for domestic programs. It dedicates almost $5 billion to battle abuse of opioid drugs, which is $3 billion more than last year. The National Institutes of Health gets $37 billion, up $3 billion from 2017. It also includes more money for road building, rural water projects, the FBI, NASA and the IRS. Provides $4 million for anti-harassment training for lawmakers and congressional aides.

— $1.57 billion for Trump to begin building his wall with Mexico, and to generally bolster border security.

— Holds the Environmental Protection Administration to last year’s budget of $8 billion. It rejects Trump's effort to cut spending for cleaning up Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, other areas.

— $380 million to improve election security.

— Prods federal agencies, states to send records to the federal background check system for gun buyers that they’re already supposed to provide.